Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-05-12
CURIOUS PHENOMENA.
SEVERAL VERY REMARKABLE CASES
OF "MULTlPlEx PERSONALITY"

An Extremely PerpIexing Case-Ths
Three Lives of Louis v-Ths Theory of
Obsession-The "watseka Wonder"
An Obscure Subject.
A dispatch from Norristown, Pa, gives an
account of a curious case which has come to
light there, and which, if the circumstances
are as stated, probably belongs to class
which has been growing for some years with
rather disquieting speed. Some two months
ago stranger came TO NOrristown, rented a
store, stocked it and began business. There
was nothing in his conduct or bearing to at
tract attention, and he lived with perfect
Quietness until one evening neighbor was
startled by the appearance of the newcomer
in bewildered state, asking where he was.
Then he declared that he knew nothing of his
sojourn in Norristown; that he was Rhode
Island clergyman; that two months ago he
left his home on some business drew some
money out Of the bank and then lost recollec-
ton until he found himself in the Pennsyl-
vania town. Not many years ago a story
like this would have been secuted save by q
few students in advance of the time. Now,
thanks chiefly TO the Investigations of French
medical science it is generally known that what
Mr.. Alfred Myers happily terms "multiplex
personality" is a genuine though extremely
perplexing phenomenon. Drs. Charcot, Richer,
Azam, Ribot, NoiSin, Camuset, etc, have for
number of years studied this clase of cases, and
In the records Of the now historical ones of Eel
ida x and Louis V are to be found all and
more than all the peculisrities Of the case of
Ansel Bourne
LIVED THREE LIvEs.
Louis Y lived three lives, separated from
one another by commissions. These its COW
cred the changes from one personality 10 an
other; and there was change of personality,
for the whole character was radically altered
Thus in one state the patient was morose,
suspicious, dishonest, while in another he was
frank, cheerful, smiable and upright Similar
phenomena were observed In the case Of Fe-
linda Z, though her popularity is that the
somnambulio state has become the normal or
prevalent one, while what was the normal
state is the occasional one AS this change
has improved her character much, il is not to
be regretted. In all insane asylums cases are
found OF loss or exchange of personality, and
often the insanity consists almost wholly in
such an exchange.
Tbs revelations Of science, however, are
approaching point which bears directly on
alienism. Hereafter it may be necessary to
realige that the substitution of one person
alty Tor another does not demonstrate mad
ness, but possible psychical disease as sus-
ceptible Of cure as many bodily ailments.
Hypnotism Il the key with which these mys-
teries Of multiplex personality are being un-
locked slowly, and while as yet the mode Of
operation isnot perceived it is established that
tine influence, magnetic or otherwise, does
take hold of these peculiar psychical con-
ditions and modifes them benetcially.
OTHER STRANGE CASES.
There are many strange cases which come
under this category, and DR.. Hammond re-
Gently discussed some Of them in The Forum.
That Of the dry goods bookkeeper who few
months ago stepped out of his place Of bust
ness In this city and came TO himself, as it
were, in Washington several weeks later, ap-
pears to have been of the same kind. In all
such cases 1t is to be observed that there Is a
continuity Of physical control and also of
mental action. The personality is sometimes
changed, but though the normal identity dis
appears, another instantly supplants it. The
man does not become bewildered He only
becomes another man. He is able to go about
some business, TO act SO as not to attract at
tention; in some instances to take up and
carry on a new hne of purpose and thought.
1ueDOlleud OF ILLS CDuIHCUcr IOl0erIy were
held explicable only by the theory of obses-
sion by free spirit The Interpretation was
at least Ineligible, granting the premises,
and the Spiritualists have staple illustra-
tion, known as the "Watseka Wonder" in
which a young girl was "obsessed" by the
spirit of another. and changed lIer r,ers0n-
ality for some months. The French scientists,
and perhaps Mr.. Myers also, would reject the
"Obsession" theory, and necessarily from their
point of view, but they certainly have not
succeeded in showing how or why these
strange metamorphoses occur. The hypothe-
sis that we all carry about with US the poten-
tiality of any number of personalities, which,
or any one OF more of them, may be set in
activity by some fortuitous pressure upon a
particular part of the brain, is, to say the
least, unpleasant to contemplate, and the
more so inasmuch as nobody appears capable
Of suggesting any method by which such
mysterious interferences with personality can
be prevented Altogether it is a remarkable
and deeply interesting, but decidedly obscure
subject.-New York Tribune.